The demand for devices that will contain embedded connectivity is predicted to grow rapidly in the next 10 years. According to Gartner, M2M services will result in an estimated 50 billion devices being networked in 2020. But as the number of devices increases, so do the challenges facing the mobile network operators that must support these emerging applications and additional connected devices.

Recent industry research points to some of the challenges facing both product developers and operators. According to a study conducted by Jasper Wireless, more than 60 percent of connected device launches are delayed because of application redesign needs.

The report goes on to say that up to 80 percent of device applications are “aggressive” or “abusive” when they’re connected to the mobile network. For example, devices might constantly attempt to connect to the mobile network, resulting in an excessive signaling load that can cause deterioration in quality for end users.

Research from AT&T further describes some of the difficulties facing the mobile wireless industry. Its “Wireless Network Development Considerations – Emerging Devices” development brief notes that in mobile networks the amount of network traffic that applications generate can have a significant impact on service cost.

That’s especially true for applications that automatically interact with network-based services, and these costs might be borne by the user and/or network operator. Because mobile networks are shared by customers within a particular cell, one customer’s use of an application can impact other customers in the cell as well.

These independent market assessments by Jasper and AT&T clearly show that there are significant challenges facing the mobile wireless industry. Developing devices with embedded connectivity now demands a broad set of skills and expertise to effectively serve the requirement for timely, cost effective and profitable market applications. 

A clear message from the industry, that must not be forgotten, is that development of embedded connectivity is more than the application of technical skills. There are significant business considerations in delivering certified and profitable products in a timely manner.

Stepping Up to the Challenge

A new partnership created by Logic PD and Roke Manor Research in December 2010, will help address these and other challenges in the market by leveraging the strengths and experiences of the two companies.

As a result of the joint venture, the companies will develop products with embedded connectivity that maximize the user experience and offer customers the shortest development times possible.

The idea for the Logic PD/Roke partnership actually came from a Roke customer. The company was looking for some capabilities that are provided by Roke and others that Logic PD lead the market in, but it wanted to get these from a “one-stop shop.”

The customer introduced the companies to each other and indicated that together, they could deliver exactly what the customer needed. Shortly thereafter, an ideal partnership was solidified.

Logic PD offers innovative product solutions for all phases of a product's lifecycle - from product design, development and engineering to manufacturing services. The company is a leading developer and a global supplier of system on modules (SOMs) and development kits. It provides world-class embedded development and a product line, including Torpedo, an ultra compact but powerful SOM.

Roke employs a team of 400 engineers who apply their technical knowledge to solve difficult problems in radar and wireless technologies, electronics and mobile communications, and software engineering. The company provides leading edge network infrastructure, mobile devices, and mobile networking technology worldwide to customers in a variety of industries.

By combining expert embedded product development with mobility expertise, Logic PD and Roke have teamed up to create a product development service to parallel that of a tier one device manufacturer.

Together, the partners can deliver everything that’s needed to provide a high-quality user experience quickly, reliably, and cost effectively. With their diverse product offerings, Roke and Logic PD can deliver a development kit, SOM and custom baseboard (pre-certified and network compatible) to create an integrated product that’s fully certified and has network approvals.

Customers will benefit from the relationship by having advanced solutions that feature application processing, sophisticated user interaction, wireless mobility, and integrated sensor technologies. Beyond the technical capabilities, customers will be interacting with companies that offer business solutions for the creation of innovative, disruptive, and profitable products.

The companies will share some intellectual property and product development information that will help each of them strengthen its offerings to customers and broaden the market for its products.

Specifically, Logic PD will combine Roke's expertise in compact radio and antenna development with Logic PD's product realization services and SOM products. This will greatly speed up time-to-market for customers and enable them to develop richer end-user applications for connectivity to wireless technologies such as cellular, WLAN and personal area networks.

Accelerated time-to-market for advanced mobile devices is especially critical for industries such as logistics and healthcare, and device manufacturers are eager to deliver high-quality and low-cost products in the shortest time possible.

Through this partnership, Roke and Logic PD will leverage their respective skill sets and support key elements in four critical areas of need in the market: service, network, user interface, and platform and device.

To enable a high-quality and high-value connectivity service, the partnership supports product and data personalization, information privacy, user awareness and control, and conservative use of network traffic. In considering the network, connectivity is designed to accommodate network sharing, network availability, throughput and security.

The needs of the users are considered for presentation, device interaction, and delivery of information. And in the platform and device area there is support for a variety of platforms and devices, with optimized embedded applications always considering power management and device lifecycle.

In one example of product collaboration, the companies will work to have Roke’s SmartSwitch offering — an intelligent network congestion and traffic manager for network operators — on Logic PD’s SOM development kits. With SmartSwitch, a product’s use of the mobile network can be managed over time and location which is expected to help in the negotiation of connectivity service tariffs.

An additional benefit of the partnership is that it expands the companies’ geographic coverage between the U.S. and UK. While Logic PD already has an established global distribution network, including major distributors such as Arrow, Avnet, and Digi-Key, Roke will provide Logic PD with a European design service to help further expand its presence across Europe.

Real World Use – Reaping the Rewards

Some businesses are already benefiting from this innovative, new relationship. One customer of Roke wanted to integrate wireless capabilities into a very small form factor, with no compromise on the size of the final product.

Roke advised its customer that designing antennas is a difficult task when constrained by size, as every time the size is reduced it has a potentially negative impact on performance.

Traditionally, this would have meant that if the customer wanted to maintain a functional user experience and connectivity, then the device would need more space in its circuitry to support the size of antenna required.

However, Logic PD used its excellent industrial design capabilities to satisfy the customer’s need for a handheld, portable device while enabling a satisfactory antenna design.

The outcome was the delivery of the full end user experience. So, through the joint efforts of Roke and Logic PD, the customer was able to keep its design goals while delivering a product that users would want.

The partnership represents a significant strategic move for both Logic PD and Roke. Embedded connectivity continues to be a growth area for Logic PD, and having the ability to expand its practice with proven expertise and international testing facilities within the mobile connectivity industry gives it a unique opportunity for growth.

At the same time, Roke's customers will now have access to extended digital applications support and miniature integrated platforms by leveraging Logic PD's product-ready SOMs. Logic PD's SOMs will give Roke customers an enhanced set of peripherals for ease of connectivity to technologies such as cellular, WiFi, WiMax and Bluetooth.

Clearly, the partnership between Logic PD and Roke is a huge plus for both companies -- and their customers.